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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. object — to protest
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. object — a thing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. degree — from a university
  18. shower — to wash

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