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

Word bank: pitch · cabinet · firm · ruler · snap · degree

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. firm — steady
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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