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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: club · content · bore · drill · ruler · firm · dip · land

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. land — to come down
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — the amount
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bore — to tire
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — to drill
  24. drill — army training

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