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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — to drill
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — an aim
  13. degree — temperature
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stock — shares
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bass — low music
  23. object — a thing
  24. degree — from a university

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