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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a music group
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. band — a ring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. arm — part of the body

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