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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitch — completely
  5. hand — help
  6. swing — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rash — a series
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. degree — temperature
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. leaves — lets stay

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