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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. degree — temperature
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitch — completely
  11. degree — from a university
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a list
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. degree — an amount
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. foot — the bottom

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