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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. face — to confront
  5. spell — letters
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pit — in a race
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a signal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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