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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a trace
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. degree — an amount
  21. key — for a lock
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mark — to pay attention

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