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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. degree — temperature
  7. march — the month
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bass — the fish
  19. march — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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