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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: craft · pop · drill · bay · bore · pit · racket · spell

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spell — magic
  9. pop — soda
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. drill — army training
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. craft — a skill

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