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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: fine · mate · suit · date · perch · bore · club · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. degree — an amount
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fine — all right
  7. perch — the fish
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bore — to drill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. suit — to fit
  22. club — a group
  23. mate — a partner
  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