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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. capital — a city
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — to rob
  7. file — a document
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stock — shares
  15. file — a line of people
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. capital — money
  19. bore — to drill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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