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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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. pitch — completely
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. root — the cause
  6. degree — an amount
  7. root — of a word
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bore — to tire
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. degree — from a university
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — the sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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