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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pit — in a race
  3. degree — temperature
  4. content — the amount
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. plane — a tool
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — in control
  13. kick — in football
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — a hole
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — in geometry

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