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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: sharp · last · bore · cap · stock · spell · racket · saw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. last — to go on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stock — goods
  5. bore — to drill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — final
  8. sharp — clever
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — of ice
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cap — a hat
  18. last — finally
  19. spell — letters
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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