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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 · staff · racket · leaves · track · scale · fork · roll

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. staff — a stick
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — to tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. scale — in music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. roll — a list
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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