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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. row — a line
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — a gift
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — decided
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. firm — a company
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — the time now
  17. firm — steady
  18. present — there
  19. march — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — all right
  22. march — the month
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. degree — temperature

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