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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 · lean · present · net · degree · bank · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. net — for catching
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitch — completely
  5. present — there
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ground — a position
  8. degree — an amount
  9. present — a gift
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — thin

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