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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tube — a container
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mug — a face
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. firm — steady
  7. bore — to tire
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bore — to drill
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — temperature
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tube — the underground
  16. firm — decided
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mug — a cup
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — to rob

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