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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: mine · craft · stem · coach · suit · fan · rock · pitch

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mine — for digging
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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