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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mate — a partner
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pit — a hole
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fork — to eat with

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