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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: stick · coach · swing · pitcher · temple · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — to roll

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