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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 120 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: pass · degree · mate · lie · chest · pitch · hand · board

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. degree — from a university
  3. hand — help
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — a flat piece
  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