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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. degree — temperature
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — the time now
  19. ball — a dance
  20. degree — an amount
  21. present — there
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a great time

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