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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. net — for catching
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bore — to tire
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — ground
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bore — to drill
  15. land — a country
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. land — to come down
  24. bulb — of a plant

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