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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pit — in a race
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. file — a tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a document
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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