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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — to tire
  8. season — of the year
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. clip — a video
  11. stock — shares
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of a king

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