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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: drill · date · object · mark · row · chip · court · bore

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — for sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. row — a line
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. date — the fruit
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — of a king
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. object — an aim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bore — to drill

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