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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: press · stand · wax · pitch · degree · hand · fork · pound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hand — help
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. press — to push
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. press — a publisher

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