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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pop — soda
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fine — all right
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — before a funeral

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