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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · season · lie · pit · fine · mug · degree · race

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. mug — a face
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mug — to rob
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pit — a hole

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