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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. pop — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. last — final
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. degree — an amount
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. degree — from a university
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — soda
  23. hide — animal skin
  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