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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: foot · bore · scale · degree · ground · wake · saw · ball

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. degree — from a university
  4. scale — in music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bore — to tire
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — an amount
  12. saw — the tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — the earth
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ball — a dance

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