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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bound — certain
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mine — for digging
  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