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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. date — the fruit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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