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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: suit · bowl · coach · pitcher · degree · bay · spell · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — in cards
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. suit — clothes
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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