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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. racket — a loud noise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ground — a position
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spell — magic
  13. ground — the earth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pit — a hole
  24. racket — for tennis

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