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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: drill · mouse · mark · foot · fork · degree · object · fall

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — army training
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — from a university
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. foot — a measure
  24. degree — temperature

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