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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · degree · pitch · pound · temple · file · charge · shower

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. file — a tool
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pop — soda
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pop — to visit
  17. file — a document
  18. pop — music
  19. shower — rain
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pound — a weight
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. file — a line of people

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