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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. firm — a company
  3. bass — low music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chest — of your body
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. shower — to wash
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — for catching
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. chest — a box
  17. charge — electricity
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — the fish
  20. degree — an amount
  21. charge — in control
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chest — of your body
  24. degree — temperature

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