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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cap — of ice
  18. net — for catching
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to drill

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