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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rest — a break
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. degree — from a university
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — an amount
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — to grow
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — low music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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