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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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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wind — moving air
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stock — shares

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