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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
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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: ruler · bore · drill · pitch · spell · safe · coach · field

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. field — for sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. field — a subject
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ruler — for measuring

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