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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — tied together
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — to tire
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — a phone
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bound — certain

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