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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kid — child
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bear — the animal

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