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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: bowl · lie · bore · kid · mouse · prune · drill · pitch

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a football final

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