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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. file — a tool
  3. firm — a company
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. degree — an amount
  7. race — a contest
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — all right
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. firm — decided
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — humankind

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