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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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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. capital — money
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. key — in music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. degree — an amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. degree — temperature
  13. content — the amount
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. squash — the sport
  23. content — happy
  24. capital — a city

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