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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: racket · hide · bore · prune · land · degree · bulb · bay

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — a country
  7. degree — from a university
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bore — to drill
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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