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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 · degree · roll · race · perch · board · mug

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. degree — temperature
  4. roll — a cake
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. board — a committee
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitch — completely
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. mug — a cup
  18. race — the arms race
  19. roll — a list
  20. perch — the fish
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mug — to rob

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