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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.

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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 · safe · bat · track · degree · land · scale · coach

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — to come down
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. degree — temperature
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. land — a country
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — to keep track
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. scale — in music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bat — the animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. track — a path
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — ground

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