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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chip — for betting
  7. drill — army training
  8. degree — an amount
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — for a lock
  13. dip — to sink
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. drill — the tool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. chip — to eat
  18. drill — a practice
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. key — the most important part
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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