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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
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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: season · bowl · coach · cap · calf · pitcher · mug · degree

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mug — a cup
  5. season — of the year
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. degree — from a university
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitcher — a jug

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