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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — of a king
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of law
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitch — completely
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — of a river
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. court — for sport

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