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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 120 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rule — government
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — a law
  10. bore — to drill
  11. field — a subject
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. field — farmland
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — for betting
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. degree — from a university
  24. foot — a measure

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