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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · bear · spring · firm · degree · rest · pitch · hide

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spring — of water
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — an amount
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitch — completely
  13. firm — a company
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitch — a sports field

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