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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 124 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — a measure
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — to tire
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a committee
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rest — a break
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bass — low music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — to get on
  24. bore — gave birth

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