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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.

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: dip · tube · cabinet · racket · branch · bore · foot · degree

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. degree — from a university
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. degree — temperature
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — to tire
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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