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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 120 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: stand · racket · rush · plane · scale · swing · degree · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bore — to tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — in music
  10. swing — music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. swing — to play on
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — an amount
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — an aircraft

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