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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: kid · temple · dip · pit · bear · stick · bulb · degree

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. degree — from a university
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kid — child
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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