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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. firm — a company
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kick — in football
  11. firm — decided
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. snap — to click
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — for money
  23. sharp — clever
  24. firm — steady

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