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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — a grade
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. face — to point toward
  8. club — a group
  9. scale — in music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. club — for dancing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. club — for golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. can — to be able to
  23. face — part of the head
  24. scale — for weighing

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