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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: pitcher · mark · face · fine · foot · degree · lean · coach

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. face — to confront
  23. mark — a trace
  24. degree — from a university

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