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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 116 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: lash · fan · mate · staff · pop · degree · pit · pound

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pop — to visit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — music

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