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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to tire
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — army training
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rock — music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rock — a stone

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