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

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — after costs
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitch — completely
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — a grade

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