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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. scale — size or range
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. track — a path
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. scale — in music
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a song
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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