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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: chair · bay · pop · degree · coach · game · bulb · pitcher

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — soda
  19. chair — a leader
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. game — a match

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