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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. degree — an amount
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. squash — the sport
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. degree — temperature
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. toast — bread
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. jam — a tight spot

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