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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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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 · pit · degree · root · lash · bat · date · cap

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. root — of a word
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pit — in a race
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. root — the cause
  15. cap — of ice
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. degree — from a university
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pitch — completely
  24. date — on the calendar

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