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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: degree · deal · cap · pitcher · patient · drill · branch · pitch

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — of ice
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. deal — to handle
  19. degree — from a university
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. drill — the tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. cap — a hat

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