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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: coach · mate · degree · ball · pitcher · date · bark · board

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. degree — temperature
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — a friend
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ball — a dance
  21. board — a committee
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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