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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — part of the head
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. scale — size or range
  11. face — to confront
  12. land — to come down
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitch — completely
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. face — to point toward
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. toast — bread
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. can — to be able to

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