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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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468
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: row · stand · bore · ground · drill · pit · mate · staff

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. drill — army training
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a line
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ground — the earth
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ground — a position
  24. row — to paddle

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