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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — a path
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. bore — to tire
  13. track — to keep track
  14. charge — in control
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitch — completely
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — a song
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. degree — from a university
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — electricity

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