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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. degree — from a university
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. degree — an amount
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bass — low music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. firm — steady
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. firm — decided
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — a company
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lash — an eyelash

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