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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. staff — employees
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. drill — the tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bore — to drill
  12. scale — in music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bore — gave birth

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