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

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. roll — a list
  7. pit — a hole
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mug — a face
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wound — an injury

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