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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — an aim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — a practice
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. object — to protest
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — the tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — in a race
  24. degree — temperature

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