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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. net — after costs
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — letters
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. degree — from a university

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