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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. march — the month
  15. sharp — clever
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — completely
  20. degree — an amount
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — music

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