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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. content — happy
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rash — a series
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ruler — for measuring

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