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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: fine · wound · file · nail · cue · bore · pitcher · game

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — an injury
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — all right
  9. bore — to tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — a hint
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a document
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cue — for pool
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — an injury

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