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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — the sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. degree — from a university
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. season — of the year
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. degree — an amount
  24. season — to add flavour

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