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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: suit · saw · bore · vault · drill · degree · racket · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. degree — from a university
  3. present — the time now
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. degree — an amount
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bore — to tire
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. suit — clothes
  19. degree — temperature
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — a practice

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