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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 120 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: racket · trunk · degree · lash · dip · bear · net · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. degree — from a university
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bear — to put up with

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