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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — wild animals
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bore — to drill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. object — an aim
  16. stock — goods
  17. game — a match
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pop — music
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stock — shares

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