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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: rock · season · ground · drill · firm · present · bore · stock

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to drill
  4. present — there
  5. ground — a position
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — army training
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — of the year
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ground — crushed
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. stock — shares
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. season — in sport
  24. rock — a stone

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