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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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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: bore · tube · wind · rest · stick · stock · pass · fork

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stock — goods
  10. rest — a break
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stock — shares
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tube — a container
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fork — a garden tool

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