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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: bank · scale · net · degree · bore · land · fork · bound

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bound — certain
  4. fork — in a road
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. net — after costs
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. land — a country
  12. net — for catching
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. land — to come down
  15. net — in sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — in music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — obliged
  23. land — ground
  24. bore — to tire

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