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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · rule · tube · degree · scale · bat · bay · bore

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tube — the underground
  18. degree — an amount
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bore — to drill
  21. scale — in music
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tube — a container
  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