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

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lean — thin
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — a tin
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bore — to tire
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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