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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: pass · date · pitcher · straw · stand · coach · field · degree

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. degree — from a university
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. field — farmland

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