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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. court — of a king
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pit — a hole
  12. court — for sport
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rule — a law

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