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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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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: kick · calf · content · cue · pit · drill · bore · rash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. content — happy
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — the amount
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — army training
  11. rash — a series
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cue — a signal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  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