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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: lie · stick · pitch · root · clip · march · dip · degree

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — temperature
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. march — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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