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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: dip · net · season · deal · bat · pit · degree · coach

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — from a university
  5. net — after costs
  6. deal — to handle
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. degree — temperature
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. season — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — of the year
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pit — in a race

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