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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 120 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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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: pitch · temple · wind · degree · pound · cell · last · nail

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitch — completely
  3. last — finally
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. degree — from a university
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — to go on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wind — moving air
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. last — final
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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