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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: board · bore · field · straw · rush · scale · rock · degree

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — farmland
  8. degree — from a university
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — an amount
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. scale — size or range
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rock — a stone
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. field — a subject

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