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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rock — music
  3. content — happy
  4. spell — magic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stock — goods
  10. band — a ring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bore — to drill
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — letters
  23. content — the amount
  24. racket — for tennis

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