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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lean — thin
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — obliged
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bore — to drill

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