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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bark — to shout
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — in a race
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pit — a hole
  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