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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 · club · press · bore · pitch · coach · tube · last

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. club — for golf
  6. last — final
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. last — finally
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. press — a publisher
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. press — newspapers
  14. club — a group
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. press — to push
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — a container

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