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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — crushed
  6. degree — temperature
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mate — to breed
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — boats
  20. ground — a position
  21. mark — a grade
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — to pay attention

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