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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — clothes
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. object — a thing
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. object — an aim

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