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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. degree — from a university
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — in a race
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. current — of water
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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