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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: pit · dip · rest · drill · chair · degree · saw · firm

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — a hole
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — a break
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — a practice
  20. firm — a company
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. firm — decided
  24. saw — the tool

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