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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. land — a country
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stock — goods
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. board — a committee
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — ground

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