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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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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: mate · swing · face · stick · ground · coach · bowl · degree

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mate — a friend
  3. face — to confront
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. swing — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. swing — to play on
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ground — crushed

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