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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. scale — size or range
  14. key — the most important part
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — in music
  21. key — in music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. key — for a lock
  24. degree — an amount

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