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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: kick · temple · pass · bore · staff · bark · degree · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. degree — from a university
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — a permit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. kick — in football
  22. degree — temperature
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to drill

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