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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: present · cap · bore · lie · pitch · degree · staff · fork

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bore — to drill
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bore — to tire
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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