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

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. degree — temperature
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. season — in sport
  13. pop — music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pop — soda
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitch — completely
  20. charge — a price
  21. pop — to visit
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — electricity

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