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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · sharp · pitch · degree · arm · mate · wound · ground

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. face — part of the head
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ground — the earth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. face — to confront
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wound — an injury
  15. face — to point toward
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wound — an injury

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