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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. degree — from a university
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — in cards
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — in music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. suit — clothes
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bat — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pit — a hole
  24. drill — army training

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