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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. field — farmland
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mark — to pay attention

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