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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: pitcher · bulb · face · coach · jam · chair · chip · degree

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — to eat
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to point toward
  21. degree — temperature
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a leader

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