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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. degree — temperature
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. degree — from a university
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. firm — steady
  8. pit — a hole
  9. present — a gift
  10. club — for golf
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tube — the underground
  15. firm — decided
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. club — a group
  22. pit — in a race
  23. firm — a company
  24. degree — an amount

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