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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — clever
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bank — for money

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