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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stock — goods
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. degree — from a university
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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