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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: coach · pitcher · date · swing · fork · rock · foot · snap

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. swing — music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rock — music
  24. snap — to click

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