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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. date — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — temperature
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. degree — an amount
  10. deal — to handle
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fine — high quality
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fine — all right
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pit — in a race
  22. staff — employees
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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