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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 120 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: bay · chair · rock · mouse · wound · bore · foot · degree

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. degree — from a university
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — the animal

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