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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
468
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: band · squash · pitch · toast · object · ball · mug · degree

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. object — a thing
  3. band — a ring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. degree — temperature
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mug — a cup
  23. band — a music group
  24. toast — bread

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