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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rash — hasty
  4. band — a ring
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fine — high quality
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fine — all right
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mug — a face
  20. degree — an amount
  21. game — a match
  22. mate — a partner
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rash — a series

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