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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
468
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: wave · date · jam · hide · pitch · can · degree · file

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. degree — from a university
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a document
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. can — to be able to
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pitch — completely
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. degree — temperature
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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