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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: firm · wax · pitcher · bore · coach · stick · degree · staff

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. firm — steady
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — a company
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — from a university
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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