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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mate — a friend
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mine — for digging
  22. object — to protest
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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