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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. degree — from a university
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. degree — an amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pound — a weight
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. snap — to click
  19. band — a ring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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