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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. degree — from a university
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — to handle
  19. degree — temperature
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — the fruit

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