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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: suit · key · pitch · degree · tube · rule · squash · hide

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — a law
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — completely
  19. degree — an amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — government
  24. hide — animal skin

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