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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — an amount
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — a leader
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stem — to come from
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. staff — a stick

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