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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: wave · track · kid · coach · pitcher · stick

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — a song
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — child
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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