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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bore — to drill
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. toast — bread
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rush — hurry
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. degree — from a university
  24. deal — to handle

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