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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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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: pitch · toast · hide · degree · rule · cap · mouse · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rule — a law
  6. cap — a hat
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — completely
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rule — government
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hide — to keep secret

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