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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — temperature
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. spring — a coil
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spring — of water
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spring — the season
  16. charge — in control
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. toast — bread
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. degree — from a university

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