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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. present — there
  4. bore — to drill
  5. degree — from a university
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — low music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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