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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. suit — to fit
  8. key — in music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. hand — help
  11. bore — to tire
  12. capital — a city
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stock — goods
  15. key — for a lock
  16. capital — money
  17. mug — a face
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mug — to rob
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. key — the most important part

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