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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. drill — a practice
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. toast — bread
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. drill — army training
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wax — to grow
  24. drill — the tool

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