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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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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: net · band · degree · lash · wake · pass · pitch · pit

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. band — a ring
  4. degree — an amount
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. net — in sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pass — a permit
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. net — after costs
  24. pitch — completely

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