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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 · ruler · track · ground · bay · bore · mate · hand

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hand — help
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ground — crushed
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. track — a song
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — a path
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ground — a position

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