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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: stock · drill · field · roll · bore · ruler · press · hand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bore — to tire
  4. roll — a list
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. press — to push
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — newspapers
  11. field — for sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. drill — army training
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — a subject
  22. stock — shares
  23. hand — in cards
  24. roll — a cake

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