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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kid — child
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pit — a hole
  10. vault — a safe
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — clothes
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cap — a lid
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. race — humankind
  20. mate — a partner
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. race — a contest
  24. mate — a friend

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