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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: degree · patient · swing · present · trunk · pitcher · coach · fork

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — the time now
  11. swing — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. degree — an amount
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. trunk — of a car

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