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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. land — ground
  3. shower — rain
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. roll — a cake
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. roll — a list
  9. degree — temperature
  10. land — a country
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — to come down
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — bread
  20. pit — in a race
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — from a university
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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