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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · mate · degree · present · craft · calf

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. degree — temperature
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — a friend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. present — a gift
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitch — a sports field

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