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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mug — a face
  4. net — in sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — all right
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — after costs
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — to rob
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bore — to tire
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fine — high quality
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. degree — temperature

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