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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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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 · stick · degree · scale · pitch · wake · coach · stand

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wake — a trail
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — the tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — a practice
  24. coach — a trainer

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