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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · ground · pit · pitcher · patient · bore · file · bowl

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. file — a document
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ground — a position

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