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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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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: rest · bore · fork · pit · chip · drill · racket · pound

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rest — a break
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — to drill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bore — to tire

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