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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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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: pitcher · chair · coach · bulb · wave · field

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. field — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — farmland
  16. chair — a leader
  17. field — a subject
  18. wave — with your hand

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