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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: mine · degree · chair · coach · pitch · temple · lean · rock

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rock — music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. degree — from a university
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. degree — an amount
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitch — completely
  24. temple — a place of worship

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