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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — in sport
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. present — there
  12. march — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — shares
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — the month

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