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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. club — a group
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bore — to tire
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. field — a subject

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