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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a grade
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rest — a break
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tube — a container
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mate — to breed
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — a trace
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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