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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pit — in a race
  3. degree — from a university
  4. present — there
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — a gift
  10. degree — temperature
  11. scale — in music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — child
  14. pit — a hole
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. present — the time now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — to tease

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