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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. foot — a measure
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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