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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. degree — an amount
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — to shout

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