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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bank — of a river
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. degree — temperature
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. tube — the underground
  21. foot — a measure
  22. track — a path
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a dance

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