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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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468
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: nail · ball · staff · bore · drill · pitcher · mouse · perch

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — army training
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — the 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