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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. object — a thing
  3. season — of the year
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. season — in sport
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — from a university
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — temperature
  20. object — to protest
  21. degree — an amount
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. trunk — of a car

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