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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: stand · pitch · wound · hide · bank · squash · degree · temple

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bank — of a river
  4. degree — an amount
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wound — an injury
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the sport

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