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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · stick · cold · stock · mug · deal · suit · bore

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bore — to tire
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — a face
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mug — to rob
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spell — letters
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. spell — a short time

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