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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 · pound · wake · present · bore · saw · capital · stock

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bore — to tire
  7. present — the time now
  8. capital — money
  9. pound — a weight
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — letters
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. present — a gift
  15. bore — to drill
  16. present — there
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. capital — a city
  21. spell — magic
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. capital — a big letter

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