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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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468
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 · mark · tube · bear · pitch · dip · kick · face

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. face — part of the head
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kick — in football
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mark — a trace
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tube — a container
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitch — completely
  19. face — to confront
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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