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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 116 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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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: bat · ruler · hand · root · degree · pitch · pass · mug

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. root — the cause
  3. mug — to rob
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. degree — an amount
  14. hand — help
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. root — of a plant
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mug — a face

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