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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 116 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.

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: rash · fork · pitch · chip · coach · plane · spring · degree

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pitch — completely
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chip — to eat
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. degree — temperature
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — a series
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — for betting

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