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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: spell · hide · pit · scale · bore · court · drill · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — of law
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — to tire
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. scale — in music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. drill — army training
  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