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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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468
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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hand — help
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. degree — temperature
  24. hand — in cards

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