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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 120 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: racket · bass · row · field · chair · cue · pitcher · coach

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. field — a subject
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chair — a leader
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. field — for sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — farmland
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bass — low music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cue — a signal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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