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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · straw · game · club · stock · bore · pitch · root

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — completely
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — shares
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. club — a group
  7. bore — to drill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. club — for dancing
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tube — a container
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. game — a match
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — the cause
  24. tube — in a tire

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