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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. content — happy
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — temperature
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. degree — from a university
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — child
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kid — to tease

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