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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chip — for betting
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — to eat
  13. board — to get on
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. craft — boats
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. board — a committee
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — in a computer

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