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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pit — a hole
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pit — in a race
  7. shower — rain
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ground — a position
  16. degree — an amount
  17. toast — bread
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bear — to put up 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