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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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tear — from crying
  3. degree — from a university
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — temperature
  9. present — the time now
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. present — a gift
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — an amount
  16. court — for sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. file — a tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a hole
  22. court — of law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — there

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