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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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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: degree · cabinet · mouse · present · pitch · mate · rush · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — hurry
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. present — the time now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — a friend
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. present — a gift
  23. degree — from a university
  24. present — there

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