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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: bore · hand · temple · pitch · drill · club · roll · file

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hand — in cards
  3. roll — a cake
  4. drill — a practice
  5. club — a group
  6. drill — the tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. file — a document
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bore — to drill
  15. club — for dancing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — for golf
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. roll — a list
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. drill — army training
  22. file — a tool
  23. hand — help
  24. temple — a place of worship

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