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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: bowl · coach · suit · bark · pitch · track · spell · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bark — to shout
  5. track — a song
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. suit — to fit
  9. spell — magic
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spell — letters

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