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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: stand · content · bore · pitcher · degree · rest · pit · drill

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — in a race
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. content — the amount
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. drill — army training
  22. bore — to drill
  23. degree — an amount
  24. content — happy

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