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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: prune · tube · stock · bulb · chip · bore · pitch · wound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. tube — a container
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stock — shares
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stock — goods
  24. wound — an injury

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