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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fall — to drop
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cell — a phone
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — for digging
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. degree — from a university
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fall — the season
  19. snap — to click
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. degree — an amount
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mine — an explosive

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