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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: degree · court · plane · date · file · bore · fork · firm

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. firm — steady
  5. bore — to tire
  6. degree — temperature
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fork — in a road
  12. firm — a company
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. firm — decided
  15. plane — a tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. degree — from a university
  20. date — the fruit
  21. court — of a king
  22. file — a tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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