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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. charge — electricity
  4. degree — temperature
  5. charge — in control
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — in golf
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — to play on
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — to drill
  18. swing — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. charge — a price
  21. roll — a list
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bat — the animal
  24. roll — a cake

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