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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: lie · degree · plane · date · mug · net · charge · pitch

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. charge — in control
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mug — a cup
  13. degree — an amount
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. degree — temperature
  17. charge — a price
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — for catching
  24. lie — an untruth

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