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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: pop · squash · pitch · degree · kick · pass · toast · wake

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. toast — bread
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pass — a permit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pop — soda
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. pop — music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wake — before a funeral

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