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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rash — hasty
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rash — a series
  6. row — to paddle
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cap — a hat
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mug — a face
  15. firm — decided
  16. bore — to drill
  17. degree — an amount
  18. row — a line
  19. firm — a company
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. firm — steady
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mug — a cup

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