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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: drill · degree · pit · rock · toast · cabinet · bay · coach

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. degree — from a university
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — in a race
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rock — music
  24. bay — a horse colour

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