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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rule — government
  4. date — the fruit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rule — a law
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. degree — from a university
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. degree — temperature

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