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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: tear · bore · vault · bear · patient · spell · pitch · scale

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — size or range
  5. tear — to rip
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. scale — in music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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