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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: sharp · field · rock · fine · land · bore · degree · wave

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — ground
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. field — farmland
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fine — all right
  12. degree — from a university
  13. field — for sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. land — to come down
  17. sharp — clever
  18. land — a country
  19. rock — music
  20. field — a subject
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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