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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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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: kick · pitch · straw · craft · coach · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kick — in football
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. coach — a trainer

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