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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: clip · bore · tube · safe · degree · pit · pound · root

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tube — a container
  5. clip — to cut
  6. root — the cause
  7. pound — a weight
  8. degree — temperature
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bore — to tire
  11. degree — an amount
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — from a university
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. clip — for paper
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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