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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: coach · pitch · object · bulb · rest · plane · degree · shower

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. degree — temperature
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rest — a break
  9. shower — rain
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. object — to protest
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — a thing
  22. plane — a tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. coach — a trainer

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