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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — in cards
  3. present — there
  4. pop — to visit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ground — the earth
  11. suit — to fit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pop — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ball — a great time

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