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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — for catching
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. key — in music
  9. net — in sport
  10. degree — temperature
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — completely
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — in sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — electric
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. current — of water
  24. object — to protest

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