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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. degree — from a university

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