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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — a trace
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitch — completely
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. sharp — clever
  15. degree — from a university
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. season — in sport

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