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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · stand · net · degree · hide · bound · dip · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — obliged
  8. net — in sport
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bound — certain
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. degree — an amount
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — for catching

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