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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 120 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: ground · fine · degree · drill · mate · spell · club · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — for golf
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fine — high quality
  5. drill — army training
  6. degree — temperature
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — a group
  11. spell — a short time
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ground — crushed
  17. present — the time now
  18. fine — all right
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. club — for dancing
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — letters

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