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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: prune · drill · present · fork · row · bore · pit · cabinet

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bore — to tire
  13. present — the time now
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — there
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a line
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. present — a gift
  24. row — a quarrel

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