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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — to point toward
  7. degree — an amount
  8. key — for a lock
  9. content — the amount
  10. scale — size or range
  11. face — part of the head
  12. field — a subject
  13. key — the most important part
  14. field — for sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lean — to bend
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. field — farmland
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. key — in music
  23. lean — thin
  24. content — happy

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