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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — to tire
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. degree — from a university
  6. swing — in golf
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — for dogs

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