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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: mine · charge · deal · bat · degree · pass · bore · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. charge — in control
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. toast — bread
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. charge — a price
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pass — a permit

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