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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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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: foot · pitch · rest · drill · band · shower · trunk · bore

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to tire
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. shower — rain
  6. rest — a break
  7. band — a ring
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bore — to drill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a music group
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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