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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — in music
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — a lid
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — to be able to
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — for weighing

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