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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. clip — for paper
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — in a race
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. degree — temperature
  8. firm — steady
  9. degree — from a university
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. clip — to cut
  12. scale — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a hole
  16. degree — an amount
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. scale — size or range
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. firm — decided
  24. lash — to lash out

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