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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 116 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: suit · bear · degree · kid · dip · net · pit · stem

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — in a race
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. suit — to fit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kid — child
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. kid — to tease
  24. degree — from a university

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