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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 116 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: kid · racket · stock · bay · tube · land · present · bore

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. land — to come down
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — there
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. land — a country
  12. stock — goods
  13. kid — child
  14. stock — shares
  15. kid — to tease
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. present — a gift
  22. tube — a container
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. land — ground

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