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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: bowl · shower · season · tube · degree · mug · bore · prune

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. shower — rain
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bore — to tire
  6. degree — temperature
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. degree — from a university
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — in sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — to wash
  19. tube — the underground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — of the year

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