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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: mine · bore · fine · season · cabinet · bay · degree · bat

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — in sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. season — of the year
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mine — for digging
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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