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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: chair · current · bear · roll · coach · bore · drill · degree

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. current — happening now
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — of water
  14. chair — a leader
  15. roll — a list
  16. drill — army training
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. coach — a trainer

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