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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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitch — completely
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — to drill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bank — of a river
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — to 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