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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 120 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
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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: pit · wound · ruler · mouse · field · bore · drill · pitcher

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — a subject
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — a hole

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