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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spring — of water
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spring — the season

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