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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — in cards
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fork — in a road
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. drill — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hand — help
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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