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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: pitch · perch · pit · land · rock · cap · can · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — a country
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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