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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — a grade
  3. degree — an amount
  4. file — a tool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a document
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. key — the most important part
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — after costs
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. net — in sport
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — for catching
  24. tube — in a tire

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