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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. face — to point toward
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bore — to tire
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. face — to confront
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hand — help
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — an amount
  24. deal — to handle

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