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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: drill · bore · stock · pitch · wake · rash · leaves · press

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — to push
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wake — a trail
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — goods
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. drill — army training
  21. press — a publisher
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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