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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 120 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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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: row · kick · drill · net · pit · vault · bore · nail

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — to tire
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kick — in football
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. drill — army training
  7. net — after costs
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — to paddle
  22. net — in sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. drill — a practice

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