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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 120 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 · pitcher · wound · suit · racket · bore · rush · tube

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to drill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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