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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — completely
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. board — a committee
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — to get on
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cold — not warm
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bear — the animal

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