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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. degree — an amount
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. march — music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. roll — a list
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. degree — temperature
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — a permit

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