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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mark — a grade
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rock — to move gently

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