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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: rule · pitcher · degree · ball · hide · stand · can · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ball — a dance
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rule — a law
  16. can — a tin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — government
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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