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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. last — to go on
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. last — finally
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — final
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kick — in football
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. row — a line
  24. staff — a stick

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