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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: drill · pitcher · pitch · degree · saw · calf · swing · mark

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mark — a trace
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitch — completely
  9. drill — a practice
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. swing — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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