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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. snap — to click
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — a tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cue — for pool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cue — a hint
  23. degree — from a university
  24. racket — for tennis

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