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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mug — a face
  4. charge — in control
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. mug — to rob
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wake — a trail
  21. degree — from a university
  22. charge — a price
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wake — before a funeral

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