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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — a cup
  3. shower — rain
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. degree — an amount
  7. shower — to wash
  8. dip — to sink
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — happening now
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — electric
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — of water
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — the animal

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