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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chip — for betting
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitch — completely
  7. degree — an amount
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. rest — a break
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a partner
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — what's left

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