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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: craft · ground · fan · bank · pitcher · coach

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — for money
  5. craft — boats
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — of a river
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — a jug

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