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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — hurry
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bass — the fish
  18. degree — from a university
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a face
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wave — with your hand

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