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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pit — in a race
  3. degree — an amount
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. club — for dancing
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — to wash
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — a group

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