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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — of the year
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. degree — from a university
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — temperature
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. object — to protest
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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