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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 · rock · straw · stick · mine · coach · lie · foot

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — for digging
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. foot — the bottom

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