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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tube — the underground
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. scale — size or range
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — an amount
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. scale — in music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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