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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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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pound — a weight
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — an amount
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — from a university
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. perch — for a bird

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