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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: track · kid · coach · pitcher · rash · object · chair · can

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a path
  3. object — to protest
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — an aim
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — to tease
  20. object — a thing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rash — on the skin

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