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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. degree — from a university
  9. craft — boats
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. net — for catching
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — in sport
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fall — the season
  19. bore — to drill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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