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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: pass · stand · bore · bear · pit · wake · drill · fork

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. drill — army training
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fork — a garden 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