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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitch — completely
  3. degree — an amount
  4. key — for a lock
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — in music
  19. content — happy
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — to crush
  24. content — videos and posts

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