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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: pit · pitch · patient · stick · net · degree · bound · dip

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — for catching
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. degree — temperature
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. net — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — in a race
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitch — completely
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bound — obliged
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pit — a hole

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