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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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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: pitcher · degree · rule · pass · firm · pitch · present · roll

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. firm — a company
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — the time now
  12. roll — a list
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pass — a permit
  16. present — there
  17. degree — temperature
  18. present — a gift
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rule — government
  24. pitcher — a jug

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