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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. object — a thing
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — a price
  7. bat — the animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. charge — electricity
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. object — an aim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. object — to protest
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — in control
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bore — to drill

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