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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: toast · degree · squash · kick · bore · present · bat · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. present — the time now
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. squash — to crush
  6. kick — in football
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — bread
  9. degree — from a university
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bore — to tire
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. present — there
  20. bat — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bore — gave birth

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