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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: bore · row · perch · drill · deal · ball · pit · calf

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ball — a dance
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. drill — army training
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ball — a round shape

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