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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: degree · bore · ruler · ball · swing · mug · branch · rock

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ball — a great time
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — a division
  14. bore — to drill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bore — to tire

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