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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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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 · lash · jam · fall · fine · pit · pitch · staff

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fine — high quality
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lash — to lash out

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