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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a cup
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rush — hurry
  6. degree — from a university
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cue — for pool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mug — to rob
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. present — there
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mug — a face
  21. present — the time now
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rush — a thrill

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