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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: ruler · ground · wake · racket · dip · pit · degree · coach

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. degree — an amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — a position
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pit — a hole
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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