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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — to confront
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — to grow
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. degree — an amount

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