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

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pit — a hole
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rule — government
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. degree — from a university

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