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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: suit · pit · tube · degree · mouse · date · staff · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. degree — an amount
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tube — a container
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pit — in a race
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. suit — to fit
  22. date — the fruit
  23. staff — employees
  24. mouse — the animal

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