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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: cabinet · coach · pound · file · pitcher · firm · trunk · degree

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. degree — from a university
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. file — a tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — steady
  18. file — a document
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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