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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mark — a trace
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. degree — from a university
  16. march — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — to drill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a document
  23. degree — an amount
  24. coach — a trainer

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