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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — the arms race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — in a race
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  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