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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a great time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rule — government
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — for a lock
  15. degree — an amount
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. key — the most important part
  24. capital — a city

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