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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — decided
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cold — an illness
  14. degree — from a university
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bat — the animal
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bat — in an idiom

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