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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: degree · bowl · hand · present · drill · rock · bay · cabinet

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. drill — a practice
  3. degree — from a university
  4. hand — in cards
  5. degree — temperature
  6. present — there
  7. drill — army training
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. present — the time now
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. present — a gift

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