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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: scale · bore · trunk · stick · drill · pit · key · field

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. field — farmland
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. field — for sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. drill — the tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. scale — in music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. scale — size or range

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