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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · march · degree · lash · foot · pit

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tear — from crying

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