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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: bank · mouse · chair · pitch · degree · root · pound · cap

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — a weight
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. root — of a word
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. degree — from a university
  24. root — of a plant

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