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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cue — for pool
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pit — in a race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cue — a signal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spell — letters
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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