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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.

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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pit — in a race
  11. last — final
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — finally
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rest — a break
  17. last — to go on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rest — what's left

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