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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — to sink
  6. suit — to fit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — in cards
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. degree — an amount
  12. suit — clothes
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mug — a face
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mug — to rob

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