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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 116 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: sharp · racket · coach · bark · pitcher · game · can · lash

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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