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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · degree · net · pit · ball · pass

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — for catching
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rush — hurry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ball — a dance

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