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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 116 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: degree · chair · net · pit · kick · current · shower · coach

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chair — a leader
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — of water
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — in sport
  12. pit — in a race
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. net — after costs
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — happening now
  24. chair — to sit on

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