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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: rock · calf · bore · bulb · drill · racket · court · bound

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bore — to drill
  5. drill — the tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — tied together
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  24. court — of law

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