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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: key · rash · nail · wave · prune · degree · pitch · chair

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rash — a series
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. key — for a lock
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — a leader
  24. degree — temperature

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