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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 120 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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wave — of the sea

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