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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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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: degree · bore · nail · root · pass · ruler · bay · bark

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — a permit
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. degree — from a university
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a word
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bore — to drill
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. root — the cause

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