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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bore — to tire
  4. present — a gift
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bear — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pop — to visit
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. present — there
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a match
  19. pop — soda
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bore — to drill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pop — music

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