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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. degree — from a university
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — child
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. degree — an amount
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pass — a permit
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kid — to tease
  24. date — on the calendar

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