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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — an amount
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chip — to eat
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. root — of a word
  18. degree — temperature
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chip — for betting

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