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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: row · charge · can · rock · degree · saw · roll · bore

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rock — a stone
  6. degree — from a university
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rock — music
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bore — to tire
  12. can — to be able to
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. roll — a list
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a line
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. saw — the tool

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