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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 120 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: last · bore · sharp · pitcher · march · degree · foot · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — to drill
  4. degree — an amount
  5. last — to go on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. march — the month
  8. last — finally
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. degree — from a university
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — a measure
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. last — final
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. march — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  24. degree — temperature

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