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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. degree — temperature
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a line
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — an amount
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. season — in sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. degree — from a university

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