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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — rain
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lie — to recline

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