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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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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: bore · tear · present · deal · field · safe · stock · nail

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — a subject
  13. present — there
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — to drill
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. field — for sport

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