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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. degree — an amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. degree — temperature

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