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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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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. degree — from a university
  3. sharp — clever
  4. club — a group
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pop — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cap — of ice
  11. club — for golf
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lean — to bend
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lean — thin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — a lid
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. club — for dancing

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