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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: band · suit · pitch · hide · stand · pound · degree · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. band — a music group
  3. degree — from a university
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — to fit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stand — to bear
  13. band — a ring
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — to keep secret

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