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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hand — help
  10. scale — size or range
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. degree — an amount
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stand — to bear
  20. scale — in music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — a partner
  24. scale — for weighing

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