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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — high quality
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. degree — an amount
  18. face — to point toward
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. degree — temperature
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — all right
  24. arm — a part of something

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