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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — the season
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spring — a coil
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. spring — of water
  20. degree — an amount
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. degree — temperature

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