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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mate — to breed
  6. degree — an amount
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — electric
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cue — a hint
  23. current — of water
  24. mate — a friend

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