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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — a stone
  5. race — humankind
  6. stock — shares
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — to tire
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. race — a contest
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. court — of law

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