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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — a series
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. scale — in music
  14. object — a thing
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rash — hasty
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. object — an aim

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