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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: deal · snap · coach · stick · field · racket · pitcher · stem

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. field — for sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. field — farmland
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — a subject
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to click
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stem — to come from

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