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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: bear · degree · leaves · pitch · rest · ground · present · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rest — a break
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. bear — the animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — for dancing

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