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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. swing — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pass — a permit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. degree — an amount

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