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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: drill · mark · bore · rash · bay · bulb · pitcher · racket

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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