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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · degree · coach · pitcher · mark · file · mouse · chest

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. file — a document
  5. chest — a box
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — a gift
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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