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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bore — to drill
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tube — a container
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to click
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stock — shares
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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