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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · mouse · chair · stock · bore · tube · straw · stand

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stock — goods
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chair — a leader
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tube — a container
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bore — to tire

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