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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: ball · pop · prune · pit · pitcher · patient · degree · coach

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pop — soda
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pop — music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pop — to visit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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