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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: firm · band · pitch · leaves · lash · degree · current · ground

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. firm — steady
  5. current — electric
  6. pitch — completely
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — a company
  19. ground — crushed
  20. current — happening now
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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