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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.

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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 · pass · stick · foot · wind · pit · pop

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pass — a permit
  8. degree — an amount
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pop — music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — a measure
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pit — in a race
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pop — soda

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