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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. track — a path
  6. chip — for betting
  7. dip — to sink
  8. track — a song
  9. mug — a cup
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — completely
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chip — to eat
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — to bear

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