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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: ground · pitcher · bore · drill · cap · content · mark · staff

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — of ice
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ground — a position
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — army training
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. drill — the tool

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