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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for golf
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kick — in football
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — a group
  11. degree — from a university
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mark — a grade
  21. degree — temperature
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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