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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. track — to keep track
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — an amount
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — to bear

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