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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 116 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rule — government
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — of law
  7. pit — in a race
  8. object — an aim
  9. rule — a law
  10. court — of a king
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. degree — temperature
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. court — for sport
  19. kid — child
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a hole
  22. object — a thing
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — a weight

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