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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 116 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: current · nail · spell · prune · pitcher · bore · track · drill

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spell — a short time
  3. drill — the tool
  4. current — happening now
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — to drill
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — army training
  13. current — of water
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — magic
  19. current — electric
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — letters

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