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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — shares
  4. degree — an amount
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. march — the month
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ball — a great time
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. snap — to click
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. march — music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ball — a dance

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