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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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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: hide · mark · foot · snap · shower · suit · pitch · degree

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mark — a trace
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — rain
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitch — completely
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. suit — to fit
  20. foot — a measure
  21. snap — to click
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mark — a grade

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