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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: net · squash · press · bore · pitcher · object · drill · toast

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — an aim
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. net — after costs
  15. drill — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. toast — bread
  18. net — in sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the vegetable

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