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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ground — the earth
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. ground — a position

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