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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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