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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: bore · degree · season · racket · perch · cue · nail · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cue — a hint
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bound — certain
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cue — for pool
  10. degree — temperature
  11. perch — the fish
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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