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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 · ground · wave · degree · cap · club · bowl · net

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. degree — temperature
  3. club — for golf
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ground — a position
  6. net — for catching
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — the earth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ground — crushed

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