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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 116 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: perch · craft · stock · bore · ground · degree · bank · drill

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. craft — a skill
  9. drill — army training
  10. bank — for money
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. perch — the fish
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. craft — boats
  24. degree — temperature

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