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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: branch · rush · pound · toast · pitch · degree · key · roll

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — the most important part
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — completely
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. roll — a cake
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. branch — a division
  18. degree — temperature
  19. key — in music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. roll — a list

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