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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. degree — an amount
  4. suit — in cards
  5. degree — from a university
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rash — a series
  10. degree — temperature
  11. object — an aim
  12. fine — all right
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. object — to protest
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bound — certain

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