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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bore — to tire
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. date — the fruit

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