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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rule — government
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rule — a law
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to sink
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — a price
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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