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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: pit · degree · mouse · bore · kick · club · branch · fork

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bore — to tire
  6. degree — an amount
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. branch — a division
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — from a university
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — for dancing
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — to drill

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