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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — a hole
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — exactly

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