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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: mug · foot · degree · mouse · kid · patient · bore · content

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. content — the amount
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. degree — from a university
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — temperature
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. content — happy
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kid — child
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — to rob

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