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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hand — help
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cue — a hint
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cell — in biology
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cell — a phone

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