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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · pit · lie · spring · hide · mark · degree · net

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — for catching
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — a trace
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spring — of water
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — in sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. net — after costs
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — the season
  24. degree — an amount

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