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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. degree — from a university
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — temperature
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. can — to be able to
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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