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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. foot — a measure
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pit — a hole
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. degree — from a university
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. pit — in a race
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. prune — to trim
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cap — of ice
  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