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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: temple · drill · nail · field · row · bore · pound · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. field — a subject
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bore — to drill
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. drill — a practice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — a place of worship

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