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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — a stick
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. staff — employees
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — from a university
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — to cool the air

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