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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pound — a weight
  7. season — of the year
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitch — completely
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. net — after costs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. degree — from a university

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