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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.

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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: ball · degree · fall · pit · bound · pitch · bass · fine

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fall — the season
  3. bound — certain
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitch — completely
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. ball — a dance

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