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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: bore · fine · toast · degree · craft · track · charge · pass

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. toast — bread
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. charge — in control
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — electricity
  14. track — a song
  15. charge — a price
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. track — a path
  19. degree — temperature
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bore — to tire

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