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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: snap · degree · mate · pit · lie · bank · date · deal

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — to handle
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — a friend
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mate — a partner
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to click
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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