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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. firm — decided
  11. toast — bread
  12. firm — steady
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. degree — temperature
  16. court — for sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chip — to eat
  19. court — of a king
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spell — letters
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. court — of law

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