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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · foot · saw · file · bore · rest · stock · content

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — goods
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a tool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a document
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bore — to drill
  15. file — a line of people
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rest — a break

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