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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
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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: mine · bore · suit · scale · squash · mug · row · degree

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mug — a face
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. scale — size or range
  8. degree — from a university
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. suit — to fit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — in music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — in cards

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