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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cue — a signal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — clothes
  24. degree — from a university

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