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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cap — of ice
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. sharp — clever
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cap — a lid
  15. degree — from a university
  16. scale — in music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bore — to tire
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. plane — in geometry

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