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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stock — goods
  7. drill — a practice
  8. current — happening now
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. roll — a list
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. roll — a cake
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — army training
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stock — shares

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