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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — to tire
  18. drill — army training
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. squash — the sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — music

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