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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: drill · coach · wind · pitch · mate · craft

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mate — to breed
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. craft — boats
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pitch — completely
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — a skill

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