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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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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: mate · kid · degree · pit · fork · wave · pitcher · rush

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a partner
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kid — child
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. kid — to tease

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