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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: pitch · cue · charge · rash · rule · bat · tear · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cue — for pool
  3. charge — in control
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — electricity
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rule — government
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — a series

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