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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. object — a thing
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — temperature
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. clip — to cut
  22. object — to protest
  23. bore — to drill
  24. object — an aim

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