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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 124 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — the time now
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. net — after costs
  17. bank — for money
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — there
  21. bass — low music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. degree — from a university

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