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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. track — a path
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rule — government
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. track — to keep track
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rule — a law
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — a tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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