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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: tear · toast · fine · pitch · bear · degree · mate · firm

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. mate — a partner
  2. firm — a company
  3. degree — from a university
  4. firm — steady
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fine — all right
  8. firm — decided
  9. degree — temperature
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  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