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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. bore — to drill
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — to tire
  11. object — to protest
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. object — a thing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — the time now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. object — an aim

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