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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.

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: pitcher · kid · board · degree · pit · bat · cabinet · mug

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pit — in a race
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mug — a face
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. degree — temperature
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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