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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: degree · date · pit · cell · coach · ground · sharp · stick

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. date — the fruit
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ground — crushed
  8. sharp — clever
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ground — a position
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pit — in a race
  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