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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: pitcher · march · bowl · lie · object · coach · prune · bat

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. march — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. object — an aim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — to protest

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