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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 124 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: degree · rest · bound · temple · rush · race · pitch · swing

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rush — hurry
  10. degree — temperature
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. swing — music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rest — a break
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. degree — an amount
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rest — what's left

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