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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: bay · sharp · plane · degree · trunk · bore · racket · mug

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — a face
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mug — a cup
  14. plane — a tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. sharp — clever
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — temperature
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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