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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: pitcher · degree · chair · club · deal · object

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for golf
  7. degree — from a university
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. club — a group
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chair — a leader

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