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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — a trail
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. degree — temperature
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — a break
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rest — what's left
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stand — on your feet

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