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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 120 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: calf · season · cue · pitch · pit · fine · fork · degree

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitch — completely
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cue — a signal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. season — of the year
  24. fork — a garden tool

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