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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: mate · plane · firm · degree · capital · bulb · bore · drill

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. firm — steady
  5. drill — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. drill — army training
  8. bore — to tire
  9. capital — a city
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. capital — money
  21. degree — an amount
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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