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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: bore · drill · nail · shower · cue · degree · pitcher · game

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — temperature
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cue — for pool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. drill — a practice
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — to drill
  24. game — a match

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