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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rash — a series
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. club — a group
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — an amount
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rash — hasty
  12. club — for golf
  13. degree — from a university
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — to protest
  20. ground — a position
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. ground — the earth

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