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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.

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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 · can · pitcher · snap · net · fork · kid · stick

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kid — child
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. net — in sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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