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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: present · net · lean · pit · file · stock · ground · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — a gift
  5. lean — thin
  6. ground — the earth
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — goods
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. ground — crushed
  17. net — after costs
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — in sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ground — a position
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — shares

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