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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. roll — a list
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a cake
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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