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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: hide · pitch · degree · mug · band · land · fine · pound

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. land — ground
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mug — a face
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitch — completely
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a music group
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — a country
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a ring
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — to rob

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