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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. content — the amount
  4. mark — a grade
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. content — happy
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. degree — an amount
  13. present — there
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. face — to confront
  21. present — a gift
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. present — the time now
  24. board — a committee

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