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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. key — in music
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. degree — from a university
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mark — a grade
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. degree — an amount
  16. race — humankind
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitch — completely
  20. court — for sport
  21. degree — temperature
  22. court — of law
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — all right

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