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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. file — a tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. season — of the year
  10. can — to be able to
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. file — a document
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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