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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — to paddle
  6. degree — from a university
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cap — of ice
  15. row — a line
  16. wind — moving air
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cap — a hat

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