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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: tube · pitcher · pass · stand · degree · nail · mate · net

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mate — a friend
  3. degree — temperature
  4. tube — the underground
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — a container
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — for catching
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — in sport
  24. degree — an amount

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