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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: ball · rush · wound · pitcher · trunk · bore · bowl · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rush — to hurry

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