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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: net · foot · pit · row · degree · rest · pass · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. row — a line
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — an amount
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. net — for catching
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. degree — temperature
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — a measure
  16. row — to paddle
  17. net — after costs
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — from a university
  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