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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. toast — bread
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — a trail
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. degree — an amount
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. toast — the most admired

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