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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — clothes
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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