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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mark — a grade
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tube — the underground
  10. suit — to fit
  11. press — to push
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. bore — to drill
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. tube — a container
  23. suit — clothes
  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