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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. degree — an amount
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pop — music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. degree — temperature

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