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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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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: stick · pitch · firm · lie · degree · rest · spring · court

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. court — of law
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — of a king
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — for sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. firm — decided
  17. spring — the season
  18. firm — steady
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spring — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — an amount
  23. firm — a company
  24. rest — what's left

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