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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: squash · fan · leaves · degree · kick · pitch · coach · key

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. degree — an amount
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. degree — from a university
  17. key — in music
  18. degree — temperature
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pitch — completely
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — a trainer

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