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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. root — of a plant
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. root — of a word
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — an amount
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — the time now
  23. root — the cause
  24. pound — a weight

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