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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stock — goods
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mug — a cup
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ground — a position
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mug — a face

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