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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: pound · coach · rule · craft · mine · pitch

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitch — completely
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. craft — boats
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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