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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. degree — an amount
  5. swing — music
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — clothes
  8. swing — in golf
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bore — to drill
  11. firm — a company
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. clip — a video
  17. firm — steady
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. suit — in cards
  21. firm — decided
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. degree — from a university

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