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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 124 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bore — to drill
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rock — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rock — a stone
  19. present — there
  20. stem — to come from
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — the time now
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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