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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mark — a grade
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — help
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pass — a permit
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hand — in cards
  24. degree — an amount

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