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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 124 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. board — to get on
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — from a university
  16. charge — in control
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chest — of your body
  20. clip — for paper
  21. charge — a price
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. board — a committee

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