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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: craft · court · staff · object · coach · plane · pitch · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — of law
  4. pitch — completely
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. object — to protest
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. court — of a king
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — an aim
  13. court — for sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — a thing
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. staff — a stick

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