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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. object — to protest
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pitch — completely
  6. object — a thing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. court — of a king
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to click
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. object — an aim
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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