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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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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: degree · temple · stem · rash · pound · land · rest · pitch

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — a break
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. land — to come down
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rest — what's left
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — a country
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — completely
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rest — what's left
  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