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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a friend
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. degree — an amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a partner
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mate — to breed
  15. toast — bread
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field

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