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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — rain
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stock — shares
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bore — to tire
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — to drill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stock — a soup base

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