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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. face — part of the head
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. race — the arms race
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. field — a subject
  16. pit — a hole
  17. race — a contest
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to confront
  21. race — humankind
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — to point toward
  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