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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stock — shares
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. root — the cause
  6. cell — in biology
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a great time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stock — goods
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com