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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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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: pass · field · bat · fall · coach · rock · degree · pit

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — for sport
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. field — a subject
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — music

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