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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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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 · kick · jam · pit · drill · rest · date · perch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bore — to drill
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — the tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — to tire
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pit — a hole

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