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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: bore · ground · rock · pitcher · leaves · pitch · nail · staff

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rock — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ground — a position
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — the earth

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