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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · degree · bay · field · pitch · bound · stem · current

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. current — electric
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. field — farmland
  5. current — of water
  6. field — a subject
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. degree — from a university
  10. field — for sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. current — happening now
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bound — certain
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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