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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mine — for digging
  4. roll — a list
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mug — a cup
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. degree — from a university
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — a face

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