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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — to drill
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — to keep track
  10. degree — temperature
  11. spell — magic
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. track — a path
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. degree — from a university
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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