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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — from a university
  3. swing — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. swing — to play on
  8. march — the month
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. swing — in golf
  20. march — music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — temperature

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