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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: pitcher · mate · fine · fall · jam · squash · coach · object

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. fall — the season
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — an aim
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — a partner
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fall — to drop
  24. object — a thing

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