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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. race — a contest
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — a series
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — to drill
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. press — to push
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. race — humankind
  19. rash — hasty
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pit — a hole

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