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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · pitcher · fan · rock · band · pit · bowl · land

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. band — a music group
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. band — a ring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pit — in a race

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