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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: ground · suit · pit · degree · pound · net · game · spell

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pit — in a race
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. degree — from a university
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ground — a position
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — temperature
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — after costs
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — the earth
  17. net — for catching
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spell — letters
  20. pound — a weight
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. net — in sport
  24. game — a match

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