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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — to come down
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kick — in football
  11. land — ground
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. deal — to handle
  15. degree — an amount
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. date — the fruit
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — an agreement

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