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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
468
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 · bore · roll · foot · present · drill · rock · perch

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — a list
  4. bore — to tire
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. drill — army training
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. present — there
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — the tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. present — a gift
  19. roll — a cake
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — a stone
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — a practice

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