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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — clothes
  9. track — a song
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a dance
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. track — to keep track

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