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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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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — a hint
  8. roll — a list
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — a path
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — from a university
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — a song
  21. rule — government
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — to keep track

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