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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 116 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — certain
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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