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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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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: mug · safe · ground · court · degree · file · ball · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. file — a tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mug — a cup
  9. court — for sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of a king
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mug — a face
  17. file — a document
  18. court — of law
  19. ball — a dance
  20. degree — from a university
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ground — a position
  24. file — a line of people

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