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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. roll — a list
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. degree — temperature
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to drill
  24. roll — a cake

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