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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bank — for money
  5. rash — a series
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — a subject
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. field — for sport
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. field — farmland
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mouse — for a computer

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