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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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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: pitcher · firm · drill · chair · bore · mine · foot · date

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to drill
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. firm — decided
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chair — a professorship

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