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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — a price
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. degree — an amount
  8. charge — in control
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — from a university
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. row — a line
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cue — for pool

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