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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: swing · saw · nail · bore · object · scale · wake · degree

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. object — an aim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. object — to protest
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. object — a thing
  15. degree — from a university
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — an amount
  24. scale — for weighing

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