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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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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: cap · coach · ruler · pit · wave · pitch · degree · racket

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sports field

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