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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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Word bank
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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: foot · mug · pit · degree · bear · squash · trunk · file

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — to rob
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mug — a face
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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