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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: content · scale · straw · tube · pitcher · bore · press · hand

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — to tire
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. scale — size or range
  10. content — happy
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — a container
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — the underground
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hand — in cards
  24. straw — dry grass

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