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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: club · degree · pit · suit · row · can · pitch · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — in a race
  5. club — a group
  6. suit — to fit
  7. row — a line
  8. suit — clothes
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. degree — from a university
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. degree — an amount
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pit — a hole
  19. can — to be able to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for golf

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