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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: degree · chip · mug · stick · racket · coach · pitcher · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. degree — an amount

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