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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. suit — to fit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. degree — from a university
  12. suit — in cards
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wake — a trail
  17. roll — a list
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — clothes
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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