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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: pitcher · pass · club · wave · saw · capital · rock · degree

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rock — a stone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pass — a permit
  5. club — for golf
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. club — a group
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rock — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. capital — a city
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. capital — money

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