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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. firm — a company
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. can — a tin
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — a break
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kid — child

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