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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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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: pop · deal · rock · suit · land · pitch · mug · degree

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pop — soda
  4. rock — music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. land — to come down
  7. degree — an amount
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. degree — from a university
  10. land — a country
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — ground
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mug — a face
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pop — music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pop — to visit

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