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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: stick · degree · perch · plane · pitcher · deal · capital · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. deal — to handle
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — a tool
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to drill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitcher — a jug

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