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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cue — a signal
  8. drill — army training
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — a practice
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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