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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: snap · club · rush · bound · perch · cabinet · pitch · degree

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bound — tied together
  5. snap — to click
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. club — for golf
  20. degree — an amount
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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