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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. march — music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pop — to visit
  10. drill — army training
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. snap — to click
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a dance
  23. degree — an amount
  24. drill — a practice

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