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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pit — a hole
  10. swing — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — the earth
  13. present — the time now
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — there
  16. pass — a permit
  17. degree — temperature
  18. swing — in golf
  19. present — a gift
  20. degree — an amount
  21. ground — a position
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bulb — of a plant

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