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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 · jam · court · lash · bowl · bore · wound · cue

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. court — of law
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cue — for pool
  16. court — for sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — of a king
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cue — a signal

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