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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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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: pitch · scale · fine · bound · degree · stem · pass · rash

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pitch — completely
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rash — hasty
  8. degree — temperature
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rash — a series
  24. bound — certain

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