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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 116 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: file · dip · kick · pitch · degree · content · present · coach

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. content — the amount
  6. present — there
  7. file — a tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. degree — from a university
  12. content — happy
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. present — the time now
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — to sink
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitch — a sports field

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