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

Word bank: staff · tube · bear · net · bore · stock

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stock — shares
  9. bore — to drill
  10. net — after costs
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bore — to tire
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — a container
  17. stock — goods
  18. net — in sport

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