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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · rule · chip · last · pitch · degree

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rule — government
  6. bore — to tire
  7. last — finally
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — to go on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rule — a law
  14. last — final
  15. chip — to eat
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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