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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. key — for a lock
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. degree — from a university
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stock — shares
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — in music
  24. degree — temperature

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