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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: bear · hide · spring · club · bore · degree · ball · bass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. club — for golf
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. club — a group
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bass — the fish
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. club — for dancing
  23. degree — an amount
  24. hide — animal skin

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