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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: ground · foot · bore · wave · mug · deal · degree · toast

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. toast — bread
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — the earth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bore — to tire
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ground — a position
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mug — a face
  22. degree — from a university
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

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