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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. content — happy
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. snap — to click
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. content — the amount
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bore — to tire
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stock — goods

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