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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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468
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: pitcher · coach · hand · rock · stick · arm · ball · can

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — in cards
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ball — a round shape

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