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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 · board · safe · degree · cue · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — a committee
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rule — government
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. degree — an amount
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cue — for pool
  12. board — to get on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — a law
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. safe — out of danger
  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