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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. degree — temperature
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — an amount
  15. race — the arms race
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — in music
  20. race — humankind
  21. face — to confront
  22. suit — to fit
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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