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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitch — completely
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. toast — bread
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fine — all right
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. net — after costs
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. net — for catching
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fine — a penalty

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