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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitch — completely
  3. degree — temperature
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — steady
  9. last — finally
  10. degree — an amount
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lean — thin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. firm — a company
  21. lean — to bend
  22. firm — decided
  23. degree — from a university
  24. last — final

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