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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: spell · perch · bore · game · trunk · jam · drill · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. drill — army training
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bore — to drill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hand — in cards
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — a match

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