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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bore — to drill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. firm — decided
  8. swing — music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — temperature
  15. swing — to play on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. suit — in cards
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — to fit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — in music
  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