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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bore — to drill
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. net — for catching
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bore — to tire

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