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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. club — a group
  3. degree — an amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — to be able to
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for golf
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pitch — completely
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — to fit

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