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

Word bank: cell · bay · current · degree · pitch · face · rule · swing

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. degree — from a university
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. current — of water
  7. cell — a phone
  8. swing — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — an amount
  12. face — to confront
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — in golf
  15. current — happening now
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cell — in biology
  20. degree — temperature
  21. current — electric
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rule — a law

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