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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. degree — temperature
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — letters
  21. scale — in music
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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