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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: degree · foot · land · pitch · mouse · lash · leaves · snap

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. foot — a measure
  20. degree — an amount
  21. snap — to click
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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