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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. drill — army training
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pit — in a race
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chip — to eat

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