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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ball — a dance
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. tear — to rip
  14. degree — temperature
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ball — a great time
  19. kid — child
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — from a university
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. degree — an amount

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