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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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. ruler — a monarch
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. degree — temperature
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — in music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — in cards
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bore — to tire
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bat — the animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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