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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: content · spell · tube · date · pitch · pit · nail · bore

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pit — a hole
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spell — letters
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitch — completely

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