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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — for pool
  7. drill — army training
  8. press — a publisher
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bore — to tire
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. press — to push
  20. drill — a practice
  21. degree — an amount
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — in a tire

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