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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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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: degree · court · row · firm · suit · tube · pitch · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — a container
  4. court — for sport
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — from a university
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — decided
  15. court — of a king
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — temperature
  21. court — of law
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tube — the underground
  24. degree — an amount

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