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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: coach · patient · pitcher · pit · season · degree · fan · ruler

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. degree — temperature
  3. season — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — in a race
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — a supporter

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