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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
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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: straw · rock · stock · cabinet · leaves · bore · pitcher · date

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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