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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lean — thin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bass — low music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bass — the fish
  22. club — for golf
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. scale — in music

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