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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · bore · spring · pitcher · can · stick · squash · degree

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — temperature
  6. spring — the season
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — the sport
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spring — of water
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — an amount

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