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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. object — a thing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. degree — temperature
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. present — there
  9. degree — from a university
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — the time now
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — in cards
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. present — a gift
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — to play on

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