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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. degree — temperature
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — a country
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rock — a stone

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