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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. degree — from a university
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mate — to breed
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. suit — to fit
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. court — of law
  20. snap — to click
  21. degree — temperature
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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