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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mine · degree · pass · tube · ground · lash · lie · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tube — a container
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ground — a position
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ground — the earth

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