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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. club — a group
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. degree — from a university
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for golf
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer

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