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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. game — a match
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. season — in sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. degree — temperature
  15. season — of the year
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cue — a signal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. degree — from a university
  24. scale — in music

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