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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — a match
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitch — completely
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. degree — from a university

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