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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · pitch · degree · mug · sharp · rash · firm · fan

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. firm — a company
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mug — a face
  17. firm — steady
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. firm — decided
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rash — a series
  24. sharp — exactly

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