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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · degree · mate · club · wave · bore

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — a partner
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mate — to breed
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wave — with your hand

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