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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — a committee
  6. spring — the season
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bore — to tire
  9. row — a line
  10. press — to push
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pound — a weight
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — to get on
  17. degree — from a university
  18. spring — a coil
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spring — of water
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. degree — temperature
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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