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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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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: degree · rest · pit · pound · pitch · ball · pitcher · stick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rest — a break
  18. pit — in a race
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — completely

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