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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 · hand · nail · fork · pop · pitch · can · season

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. season — in sport
  16. hand — help
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — soda

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