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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. object — an aim
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fork — in a road
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — a thing
  17. pit — in a race
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. object — to protest
  23. degree — from a university
  24. chip — for betting

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