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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 116 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: trunk · safe · drill · firm · bore · pitcher · pop · pitch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. firm — decided
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. drill — a practice
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — army training
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pop — soda
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. firm — a company

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