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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: land · degree · jam · capital · board · date · mouse · bore

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. date — the fruit
  3. land — to come down
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bore — to drill
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. capital — money
  11. board — to get on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. degree — an amount
  17. land — a country
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. capital — a city
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. land — ground
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mouse — for a computer

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