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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: fine · mark · pound · bulb · pitch · swing · march · degree

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — a trace
  6. swing — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — the month
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — all right
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — to play on
  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