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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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468
Word bank
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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: degree · row · field · drill · trunk · object · snap · rock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. row — a line
  3. object — a thing
  4. degree — temperature
  5. field — a subject
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. row — to paddle
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. drill — the tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. degree — an amount
  14. drill — a practice
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — for sport
  17. rock — a stone
  18. degree — from a university
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. field — farmland
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rock — music
  24. drill — army training

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