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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 120 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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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 · pitch · press · cue · chip · branch · bay · leaves

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cue — a hint
  10. degree — an amount
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — a division
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chip — for betting
  17. degree — from a university
  18. press — newspapers
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. press — to push
  22. cue — a signal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. branch — of a tree

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