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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: staff · fine · degree · ground · bore · leaves · pitch · mouse

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ground — a position
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. staff — employees
  9. fine — all right
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — an amount
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — a stick
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ground — the earth

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