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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — all right
  11. current — electric
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bore — to tire
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — to drill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bat — for baseball

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