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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. firm — decided
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bore — to tire
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. straw — dry grass

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