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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — in music
  4. field — a subject
  5. bore — to tire
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — of water
  11. key — for a lock
  12. current — electric
  13. cue — a signal
  14. field — farmland
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rule — government
  19. cue — a hint
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — for sport
  23. rule — a law
  24. cue — for pool

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