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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pound — a weight
  6. present — there
  7. pitch — completely
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. present — a gift
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. degree — from a university
  17. present — the time now
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — a sports field

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