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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bore — to drill
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — soda
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — certain
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. date — the fruit
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. land — ground
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pop — music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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