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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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468
Word bank
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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitch — completely
  9. capital — money
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. degree — from a university
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rule — a law
  14. capital — a city
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spell — letters
  19. rule — government
  20. kick — in football
  21. bound — certain
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bound — tied together

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