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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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 sports field
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — a short time
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — letters
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spell — magic
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitch — completely
  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