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

Word bank: kick · pit · bear · drill · mug · deal · chip · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pit — a hole
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chip — for betting
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — to eat
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — the animal

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