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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: land · drill · degree · bore · track · cabinet · straw · object

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — a country
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. object — to protest
  7. bore — to tire
  8. drill — a practice
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. object — a thing
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bore — to drill
  14. drill — army training
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — ground
  17. degree — from a university
  18. land — to come down
  19. degree — an amount
  20. object — an aim
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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