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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — goods
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stock — shares
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chair — a professorship

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