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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fork — in a road
  3. face — to confront
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — goods
  21. content — the amount
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cabinet — ministers

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