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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — electric
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — of water
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — temperature
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mug — a face
  14. race — humankind
  15. degree — an amount
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. plane — a tool
  19. present — there
  20. current — happening now
  21. degree — from a university
  22. present — the time now
  23. race — a contest
  24. mug — a cup

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