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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. swing — in golf
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — low music
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — in music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. degree — from a university
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pitch — completely
  20. degree — an amount
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — to hurry

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