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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · net · fork · can · coach

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fork — in a road
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. can — a tin

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