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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lean — thin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a tool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pit — a hole
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. key — in music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. degree — from a university
  22. key — the most important part
  23. file — a document
  24. key — for a lock

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