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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · bore · bear · rock · mark · ground · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — a position
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ground — the earth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rock — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. degree — from a university

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