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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. content — happy
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lie — to recline
  13. content — the amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. file — a tool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — an amount

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