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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
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: land · degree · bore · present · arm · pit · bass · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. bore — to drill
  4. land — ground
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. degree — temperature
  9. present — there
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bass — the fish
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — a country
  17. degree — from a university
  18. field — a subject
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — in a race
  23. land — to come down
  24. bore — gave birth

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