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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.

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: pitcher · bound · present · stick · stem · file · bore · mouse

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bore — to drill
  3. file — a tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — tied together
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. present — there
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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