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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: coach · current · stick · prune · pitcher · kid · patient · wake

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kid — child
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — electric
  24. patient — a sick person

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