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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.

Words on the sheet
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: date · kick · coach · key · game · drill · pitcher · foot

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. foot — a measure
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — for a lock
  9. drill — the tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. drill — army training
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — wild animals
  17. key — in music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kick — in football
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. kick — a thrill

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