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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: mug · last · fork · coach · row · pitcher · staff · game

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — to paddle
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. game — a match
  16. row — a line
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. last — finally
  19. game — wild animals
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. mug — a cup
  24. staff — a stick

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