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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. snap — to click
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. track — a path
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — electric
  10. band — a ring
  11. drill — the tool
  12. track — a song
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — temperature
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. band — a music group
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bore — to drill

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