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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. degree — temperature
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — a tin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — a leader
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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