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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 124 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. court — of law
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. club — a group
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stock — goods
  13. pass — a permit
  14. court — of a king
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. stock — shares
  21. fall — the season
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. court — for sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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