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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. degree — an amount
  9. craft — boats
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bank — for money
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — for money
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rash — a series
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitch — completely

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