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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — all right
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. face — part of the head
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to confront
  23. degree — from a university
  24. prune — to trim

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