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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: degree · plane · foot · lean · coach · swing · kick · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lean — thin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. degree — from a university
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pit — a hole
  12. degree — temperature
  13. swing — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. swing — to play on
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. kick — in football
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — an amount
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. plane — a tool
  24. foot — part of the body

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