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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 · dip · rock · spring · patient · jam · bat · degree

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — army training
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — the season
  11. drill — a practice
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bat — the animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — of water
  24. jam — a tight spot

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