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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · roll · bound · pit · object · scale · snap · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. snap — to click
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. degree — temperature
  8. scale — in music
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bore — to drill
  13. object — a thing
  14. degree — from a university
  15. roll — a list
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. scale — size or range
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — an aim
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bore — to tire
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bound — obliged

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