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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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: pitcher · degree · pitch · hand · staff · snap · stick · bulb

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to click
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hand — help
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. degree — an amount
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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