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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. kick — in football
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. degree — an amount
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fine — high quality
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bass — low music
  23. coach — a trainer
  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