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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — from a university
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — a permit

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