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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rash — hasty
  3. face — to confront
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spring — of water
  8. degree — temperature
  9. spring — a coil
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — an amount
  12. suit — to fit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rash — a series
  18. suit — clothes
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — the season
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bank — of a river
  24. suit — in cards

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