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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — to come down
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — from crying
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — a permit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. degree — an amount
  24. land — ground

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