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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pit — in a race
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — thin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. squash — the sport

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